The study investigates two major hypotheses concerning the reported low incidence of reading problems in China and Japan compared to the United States. The first hypothesis suggests that the difference lies in the structure of the written language, and the second that the difference is related primarily to differences in the children's experiences at home and in school. Evidence related to these two hypotheses will be obtained by testing first and fifth grade children in Taiwan, Japan and the United States on a series of tasks including (a) achievement tests, (b) tests of vocabulary and general information, and (c) tasks involving memory and other cognitive abilities. An effort is made to assess the influences of family life and schooling on the children's scholastic achievement and general cognitive development. Mothers are interviewed about the children's daily experiences and about parental efforts to instruct their children and facilitate cognitive development. Detailed information about the children's scholoastic experiences is obtained from the children's teachers.